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I waited patiently for the LordHe inclined and heard my cryHe brought me up out of the pitOut of the miry clay

I will sing, sing a new song

-40

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So then we had this slightly unusual piece of music and we said, 'OK, what are we going to do with it?' Bono said, 'Let's do a psalm.' Opened up the bible and found Psalm 40. 'This is it. Let's do it.' And within forty minutes we had worked out the last few elements for the tune, Bono had sung it, and we mixed it. And literally, after finishing the mix, we walked out through the door and the next band walked in. - The Edge, 2006

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Van Diemen's Land - Live From Dublin 1989 Lyrics

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Note: U2 has released different versions of most singles in different countries. We are not showing every cover image in this space, just one that's representative of each release.

"...I wrote a song called 'Van Diemen's Land' which touches on that on the new album. I was interested in the history of this character, John Boyle O'Reilly. I was out one day with my wife Aislinn and we came upon this monument in County Meath. At the entrance to it was this faded brown newspaper clipping which gave the history of his life. How he was a member of the British Army in Ireland. He left the British army and became a Fenian and wrote Fenian poetry. He was arrested by the British Government and was charged with writing material that was liable to undermine the government and was deported to Australia for 20 years' hard labour. He was, to me, a prisoner of conscience in a way. He was not a man of violence and he was sent away for 20 years so I wrote a song about that." - The Edge, NME 1988

Hold me now, oh hold me now Till this hour has gone around And I'm gone on the rising tide For to face Van Diemen's Land

It's a bitter pill I swallow here To be rent from one so dear We fought for justice and not for gain But the magistrate sent me away

Now kings will rule and the poor will toil And tear their hands as the tear the soil But a day will come in the dawning age When an honest man sees an honest wage

Hold me now, oh hold me now Till this hour has gone around And I'm gone on the rising tide For to face Van Diemen's Land For to face Van Diemen's Land